Wednesday, July 4, 2012

" R.E.R "

The Réseau Express Régional or simply RER in french, is a transit systemthat goes from suburb to the city of Paris and vice versa. It is one of the many transportations that is affordable and efficient.

Yet, to a season traveller with a luggage that's pretty heavy, It can be quite cumbersome. Imagine, having to carry it in and out of the door, managing the stairs, (escalator if you're lucky) exiting the turnstile, which can only fit one person at a time and more uneasy situations inside the metro.

Here's what I've learned so far, a few tips to live by:

In Paris:

1) To alight at the next stop, you have to press a push-button or otherwise, the door won't open. It's not the same thing as it's in Asia, where it's automated.

2) For women travelling alone, always head for the front row seat of the train, (nearest to the conductor) and never at the back. A bit unsafe especially at night.

We randomly hopped on the back seat of the train on the way to Luxembourg station, without knowing that's it's mostly where thieves hang out.Don't stand near the entrance door either, pickpockets happen in a matter of seconds.